Widowhood and health in late life: does health change before or after widowhood in older Taiwanese men and women?

This study investigated (a) whether significant health changes occur before imminent widowhood and (b) the effects of widowhood on the physical and psychological health of men and women ≥ 50 years old. Generalized estimating equations were used to examine a matched-pair sample of the Taiwanese Elderly. We found that for men, the major effect of widowhood was on psychological health, but that for women, the major effect was on physical health. Psychological health was significantly worse for widowed than for non-widowed women, but not for men. The difference in psychological health between widowed and non-widowed women, however, changed before widowhood.